Pub. Util. Code, § 400

The commission and the Energy Commission shall do all of the following in furtherance of meeting the state’s clean energy and pollution reduction objectives:

(a) Take into account the use of distributed generation to the extent that it provides economic and environmental benefits in disadvantaged communities identified pursuant to Section 39711 of the Health and Safety Code.

(b) Take into account the opportunities to decrease costs and increase benefits, including pollution reduction and grid integration, using renewable and nonrenewable technologies with zero or lowest feasible emissions of greenhouse gases, criteria pollutants, and toxic air contaminants onsite in proceedings associated with meeting the objectives.

(c) Where feasible, authorize procurement of resources to provide grid reliability services that minimize reliance on system power and fossil fuel resources and, where feasible, cost effective, and consistent with other state policy objectives, increase the use of large- and small-scale energy storage with a variety of technologies, including green electrolytic hydrogen, targeted energy efficiency, demand response, including, but not limited to, automated demand response, eligible renewable energy resources, or other renewable and nonrenewable technologies with zero or lowest feasible emissions of greenhouse gases, criteria pollutants, and toxic air contaminants onsite to protect system reliability.

(d) (1) Review technology incentive, research, development, deployment, and market facilitation programs overseen by the commission and the Energy Commission and make recommendations to advance state clean energy and pollution reduction objectives and provide benefits to disadvantaged communities identified pursuant to Section 39711 of the Health and Safety Code.

(2) The Energy Commission shall review technology incentive, research, development, deployment, and market facilitation programs operating in California and overseen by academia and the private and nonprofit sectors, and make recommendations to advance state clean energy and pollution reduction objectives and provide benefits to disadvantaged communities identified pursuant to Section 39711 of the Health and Safety Code.

(e) To the extent feasible and consistent with the state and federal constitutions, give first priority to the manufacture and deployment of clean energy and pollution reduction technologies that create employment opportunities in California, including high wage, highly skilled employment opportunities, and increased investment in the state.

(f) Establish a publicly available tracking system to provide up-to-date information at least once annually on progress toward meeting the clean energy and pollution reduction goals of the Clean Energy and Pollution Reduction Act of 2015.

(g) (1) Establish a disadvantaged community advisory group consisting of representatives from disadvantaged communities identified pursuant to Section 39711 of the Health and Safety Code. The disadvantaged community advisory group shall review and provide advice on programs proposed to achieve clean energy and pollution reduction and determine whether those proposed programs will be effective and useful in disadvantaged communities.

(2) Each member of the disadvantaged community advisory group shall receive per diem and shall be reimbursed for travel and other necessary expenses incurred in the performance of his or her duties under this section. The total amount of money expended for panel expenses pursuant to this paragraph shall not exceed one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) per year.

(3) For the purposes of paragraph (2), per diem, travel and other necessary expenses shall be funded equally by the commission and the Energy Commission.